1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system capable of locating and tracking hurricanes and tropical storms and retaining information about the storms.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Hurricanes are one of nature's most furious and destructive displays of force. However, unlike other natural disasters--earthquakes and tornadoes for example--the hurricane tends to give a relatively large warning time period before striking. This advance warning gives potential victims lying in the storm's path sufficient time to make appropriate preparations. As the path of a hurricane is unpredictable, it is necessary to track a hurricane's progression in order to properly determine the probable land fall of the incoming storm. This tracking can take several days.
Typically, the United States National Weather Service (or similar counterpart in other nations) provides regular updates of a storm's path and gives other vital information about the storm. Historical tracking, via some form of graphic display is also typically provided. In order to make an informed decision about a course of action, a person will want to gather and store the information about the storm. The typical method of information storage is to continually plot the hurricane's progress on a paper map and to keep the other vital storm information on the back of the map or on a separate notepad. This system achieves its purpose of information storage but can become messy, especially for a storm that frequently changes course or retraces part of its travel path. Furthermore, it can become relatively difficult to properly extract information from the system.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a system that will assist the average person in locating and tracking a storm and for storing information about the storm in a neat, organized, and relatively compact fashion. The system must store all vital information regarding the storm and should provide ease of information retrieval. The system should be of simple design and should be easy to use.